If you or a loved one has suffered a back injury as the result of an accident caused by the negligence or misconduct of another party you may be entitled to a significant claim for compensation. Whether you are filing a lawsuit against a place of business, hospital, employer, or individual, having a skilled attorney on your side can make the difference between a successful claim for compensation and having your case dismissed from court. At Normandie Law Firm, our top Los Angeles personal injury attorneys can guide you through the process of building your case and filing your claim. Contact our qualified law offices today, and we can discuss the incident, your damages, the aftermath, and the best possible path to filing a successful lawsuit against the party responsible. An attorney who has experience in back injury claims will be available to discuss your case with you.
Back Injury
Back injuries can occur nearly everywhere; at home, at work, at your local restaurant, at the hospital. If another party could be deemed at fault for the back injury that party could be liable for the endured damages. The back, or spine, is made up of a column of 33 bones and tissues that extend from the pelvis to the skull. These bones or vertebrae are intended to protect the nerve tissues known as the spinal cord. In between each of these vertebrae is a band of cartilage that acts as a shock absorber between the vertebrae. The different types of vertebrae are as follows:
- Cervical vertebrae: the seven vertebrae that make up the upper part of the spine
- Thoracic vertebrae: the twelve bones that lie between the neck and lower back
- Lumbar vertebrae: the five largest and strongest vertebrae located in the lower back situated between the chest and hips
- Sacrum & Coccyx: the bones that lie at the base of the spine. The sacrum is made up of five vertebrae, while the coccyx or tailbone is made up of four vertebrae.
This variety of back vertebrae is all susceptible to damage that in some cases can be incredibly debilitating and cause long-term injury to a victim. These injuries can come in two different forms:
- Spondylolisthesis: This injury involves the slipping of the vertebra and most often occurs at the base of the spin. This causes a condition called Spondylolysis, which is a defect or fracture of one or both wing-shaped parts of the vertebra.
- Cervical Radiculopathy: Cervical radiculopathy involves the damage of nerve function that results if one of the nerve roots is compressed. This damage can cause pain, weakness, and a loss of sensation in the neck, arms, or shoulders, depending on where the damage is located.
Back pain can be diagnosed through a variety of medical procedures. If you go to your healthcare professional and bring up back pain, he will more than likely order an X-ray, CT Scan, or MRI scan. Back injuries can be a prolonged or chronic condition that may or may not have any full-proof cure. For this reason, if your doctor diagnoses you with a back injury, you may be able to seek monetary compensation if the injury was caused by the fault or misconduct of another. Like all lawsuits, it is in your best interest to seek the assistance of an expert attorney with experience handling back injury claims to ensure that you receive the compensation that you deserve.
Your Case
When clients come into our firm requesting assistance for their back injury lawsuits, they often ask a wide variety of questions that are often similar to the questions of other clients. Some of these frequently asked questions are as follows:
- How much is my back injury case worth in California?
- What is the average value of a back injury case?
- What is the average settlement value for a back injury lawsuit in California?
- What is the average back injury case payout in California?
- How much is a back injury case worth? How much is the compensation for a back injury?
Determining an average case value or an estimate can, often times, be challenging to execute accurately. However, the value of every case depends on the compensable damages that make up said case. Some of these compensable damages are listed below
- Past and future medical bills: These are the hospital expenses that may or may not have been incurred because of the damages. Medical expenses can be a major factor in determining the value of any one case. These expenses can include past medical bills and the costs of any future treatment yet to be had.
- Lost income and wages: If the back injury resulted in a loss of income, or earning capability you could find them added to the value of your case. Lost wage damages are determined through an examination of your salary history and the amount of work missed; this includes sick time or vacation time. Meanwhile, a loss of future income is found through a complicated formula that involves an assessment of your projected earnings and the impact that the damages will have on your ability to find and perform work.
Non-economic damages can also affect the value of your case. Sometimes called general damages, non-economic damages provide victims with compensation for non-monetary losses that may be associated with the effects of your back injuries. These losses aren’t always easy to calculate, but hiring a personal injury attorney with expertise in back injury lawsuits could assist in reaching a probable estimate. Listed below are some non-economic compensatory damages:
- Pain and suffering: Often calculated by use of a pain multiplier, this damage is compensated based on the pain and suffering a victim feels on a regular basis from the injury.
- Emotional distress: Calculating emotional distress varies from state to state, but essentially compensation can be offered for any emotional distress a victim may feel after the injury.
- Loss of consortium: A loss of consortium is often added to the value when injuries are so serious that the victim’s loved ones are deprived of a normal loving relationship and companionship.
Another form of compensable damage are punitive damages. Punitive damages are added to the value of a case to punish the defendant or deter them from engaging in the same conduct in the future. Punitive damages are often difficult to fight for, and lesser attorneys will often settle without fighting for punitive damages, even if their client requests them. At the top-rated Normandie Law Firm, our experienced lawyers ensure our clients receive all the resources possible when pursuing compensation for damages, punitive damages included.
Determining an average case or settlement amount can be challenging as well, as while we could estimate an average that would do our clients a disservice. An accurate average is hard to reach as every individual case value can differ so greatly. In this case, we recommend you reach out to one of our accomplished attorneys with experience in back injury cases so that we can better assist in estimating the value of your case.
Your back injury lawsuit is worth more than $100,000 if the responsible party were wholly negligent in his actions and caused you to suffer pain or require multiple medical procedures for treatment. A claim could be valued at over $300,000 if it happened because of a property owner’s negligence or if a worksite manager knowingly allowed the accident to happen without trying to prevent it. If your ack injury was not severe and you healed up within a few days, your lawsuit might not be worth more than $30,000.
Get Our Legal Opinion – for Free
Our skilled and compassionate lawyers are available to provide you with the legal consultation that you need, even if you already have an attorney. If you would like a free consultation on your case or a second opinion, feel free to contact our law firm. An experienced attorney can answer all the questions you have.
How Normandie Law Firm Can Help
At Normandie Law Firm, our experienced attorneys are wholly committed to our clients and our clients’ cases. Our attorneys practice in San Diego, Orange County, Riverside, Bakersfield, San Francisco, Fresno, Sacramento and throughout the state of California. If you contact our law offices today, we can walk you through the complicated process of filing your claim and earning the compensation you deserve. As a show of our commitment, under our zero fee guarantee policy our clients don’t pay for our services until we follow through on our promise and win your case. Contact us today to speak with a lawyer experienced in back injury cases.
Our Recent Back and Spine Injury Verdicts & Settlements
Our law firm has successfully settled tens of millions of dollars on behalf of clients who have suffered back, neck, and spinal cord injuries. Below, you will find some of our most recent settlements on behalf of these clients. If you have suffered a back, neck, or spinal cord injury, feel free to contact our lawyers for a free no-cost case evaluation.
